Lines That Have Closed Since 1970

[RichmondCommu]

G'day everyone,

I thought this might be an interesting idea for a thread. Freight routes, curves / chords and of course passenger carrying routes are all welcome. Any information that you can offer on the route that has been closed would be most welcome.

I'll kick off proceedings by suggesting the route that once ran from Little Eaton to Ripley in Derbyshire but by the 1970's was only running as far as Denby to serve the local coal mines. Passenger services had ceased in the 1930's and the line saw its last train on the 19th April 1999. The last rail tour had run on the 2nd December 1995. The connection to the MML was severed in early 2002.

The track was dismantled a couple of years a go but the track bed is still very clear and all of the infrastructure still remains although the crossing gates have now gone. Coxbench station building and the station house remain intact and in use.

All suggestions and additional information would be very welcome!

Kind regards,

Richmond Commuter!

 

[Cheshire Rover]

West Cheshire Junction to Mouldsworth closed in the 90's. The line used to see oil, oil byproducts, stone, fertiliser and cars plus the very rare odd multiple unit.

 

[najaB]

When was the M90 built - early 70's? A large part of it was built along the alignment of the Fife and Kinross railway.
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The Stanley Junction to Forfar closed in the early 1980's, I believe.

 

[RichmondCommu]

West Cheshire Junction to Mouldsworth closed in the 90's. The line used to see oil, oil byproducts, stone, fertiliser and cars plus the very rare odd multiple unit.

Many thanks for this. Please excuse my ignorance but where about's was West Cheshire Junction. Just out of interest what was the reason for the lines eventual closure?
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When was the M90 built - early 70's? A large part of it was built along the alignment of the Fife and Kinross railway.
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The Stanley Junction to Forfar closed in the early 1980's, I believe.

Many thanks for this. Was the route closed as part of the pit closure program?

 

[The Planner]

Caerwent and Sudbrook, both went as part of Newport re-signalling I think a few years back. Pensnett would be one too. Baddesley Colliery. Ryecroft - Brownhills - Lichfield. Caldon. Ocker Hill. Brierley Hill - Dudley - Pleck Jn. Littleton Colliery. There are loads I suspect...the list would be much shorter if you went post 1980.

 

[Helvellyn]

Penrith to Keswick was a 1970's closure.

Can we count the routes that were closed to heavy rail for conversion to light rail on Tyneside and in Greater Manchester?

 

[RichmondCommu]

Caerwent and Sudbrook, both went as part of Newport re-signalling I think a few years back. Pensnett would be one too. Baddesley Colliery. Ryecroft - Brownhills - Lichfield. Caldon. Ocker Hill. Brierley Hill - Dudley - Pleck Jn. Littleton Colliery. There are loads I suspect...the list would be much shorter if you went post 1980.

Many thanks for these suggestions. You make a good point regarding post 1980 closures but I'd set out to try and avoid anything closed by Dr Beeching. Oh well

 

[The Planner]

Chinnor. Long Itchington. Akeman St. Dunstable. Brackmills. Clipstone Collieries. A good few in South Wales.
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Thame Oil Terminal was 1990s I think.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Penrith to Keswick was a 1970's closure.

Can we count the routes that were closed to heavy rail for conversion to light rail on Tyneside and in Greater Manchester?

Yes all those are valid. I'm not fussed at all about thread rules and all suggestions are welcome! In particular I admit to knowing very little about the Tyneside suburban system previous to the introduction of the Metro other than that bay platforms were used at Newcastle Central and of course the famous station point work!

 

[Cheshire Rover]

Many thanks for this. Please excuse my ignorance but where about's was West Cheshire Junction. Just out of interest what was the reason for the lines eventual closure?
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Many thanks for this. Was the route closed as part of the pit closure program?

West Cheshire junction was West of Helsby on the line to Birkenhead. It took oil products to and from Stanlow refinery, cars from Vauxhall Motors, fertiliser from UKF/Shellstar (now Growhow) and stone from Buxton. The line linked the Mid Cheshire line to Ellesmere Port and Birkenhead. It closed due to a lack of traffic and that the signalbox serving the junction burnt down. As I understand things the trackbed is protected.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Chinnor. Long Itchington. Akeman St. Dunstable. Brackmills. Clipstone Collieries. A good few in South Wales.
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Thame Oil Terminal was 1990s I think.

Dunstable is a good one. How come it lasted so long? I'm guessing here that the branch served a freight terminal.

Clipstone is very poignant in my view as the winding gear is still there but the colliery and branch line are long gone.

 

[sidmouth]

- haltwhistle to Alston
- Sheffield to Hadfield
- Weymouth Quay
- Cambridge to St Ives (Fenstanton)
- Egginton to Mickleover

 

[yorksrob]

Was gazing at a map today which included the Addiscombe branch. Many happy memories.

Also, Folkestone Harbour, which I was privileged to have travelled as recently as 2008 in HDL's superb thumper.

I suppose I would also have to add Dover Western Docks, killed off by the chunnel.

 

[Darren R]

Skipton to Colne readily springs to mind, although it only just fits into the time frame since it closed in February 1970. It was included in the Beeching Report as a route to be retained and modernised. However it was not included in Mrs Castle's plans for the basic rail network which was to be retained, and the closure was pushed through with undue haste. As a regular traveller between East Lancashire and North Yorkshire, I've been cursing Barbara Castle's name ever since!

 

[RichmondCommu]

- haltwhistle to Alston
- Sheffield to Hadfield
- Weymouth Quay
- Cambridge to St Ives (Fenstanton)

The Alston branch was a real shame given that it survived the Beeching ax. Without checking on Google does a narrow gauge railway now operate on that route?

Sheffield to Hadfield is not strictly true as freight still runs to Deepcar / Stocksbridge to serve the steel works. Many thanks for the suggestion though
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Was gazing at a map today which included the Addiscombe branch. Many happy memories.

Also, Folkestone Harbour, which I was privileged to have travelled as recently as 2008 in HDL's superb thumper.

I suppose I would also have to add Dover Western Docks, killed off by the chunnel.

I have many happy memories of the Folkestone Harbour branch during my Inter Rail adventures in my late teens / early 20's. I only ever used Dover Western Docks on one occasion but I do remember the train shed at the station. This was all in the mid 1980's and was my first real experience of the Southern Region. I remember the carriage sidings at Folkestone which we would reverse into before heading back to London. Do these still exist?

 

[Sapphire Blue]

Filey Butlins Triangle
Manchester to Accrington via Bury
South Staffs
and of course
Woodhead

 

[Ash Bridge]

Marple Rose Hill - Macclesfield, closed completely on 5th January 1970. DMU passenger services operated until that date, from Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield. Intermediate stations were at High Lane, Middlewood High Level (closed 1960) Higher Poynton & Bollington. Track was lifted during 1971 and the route now forms the Middlewood Way, platforms still survive at High Lane and Higher Poynton plus the odd derelict telegraph pole here and there.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Skipton to Colne readily springs to mind, although it only just fits into the time frame since it closed in February 1970. It was included in the Beeching Report as a route to be retained and modernised. However it was not included in Mrs Castle's plans for the basic rail network which was to be retained, and the closure was pushed through with undue haste. As a regular traveller between East Lancashire and North Yorkshire, I've been cursing Barbara Castle's name ever since!

I walked the Pennine Way many years a go and spent the night in a town that I think had a station on the route. All I can remember is that the town had a YHA. I'll have to dig out my photo albums in a bit!

 

[Bishopstone]

Maiden Newton - Bridport
Wareham - Swanage
Alton - Winchester (I think that was a 70s closure)

The latter two have since been re-opened, in part, as preserved lines.

 

[yorksrob]

I have many happy memories of the Folkestone Harbour branch during my Inter Rail adventures in my late teens / early 20's. I only ever used Dover Western Docks on one occasion but I do remember the train shed at the station. This was all in the mid 1980's and was my first real experience of the Southern Region. I remember the carriage sidings at Folkestone which we would reverse into before heading back to London. Do these still exist?

Not sure about the Folkestone East sidings - remember reversing in them in the early 90's with a lot of condemned EPB stock stored there.

One of the biggest shocks to me is Folkestone Central, which has had a whole island platform stripped of canopy, buildings and is now derelict since my youth!

 

[najaB]

Many thanks for this. Was the route [Stanley Junction to Forfar] closed as part of the pit closure program?

I'm not overtly familiar with the history, but I believe it was closed as the route through Forfar to Aberdeen was seen as redundant given the alternative ECML route via Dundee.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Maiden Newton - Bridport
Wareham - Swanage
Alton - Winchester (I think that was a 70s closure)

The latter two have since been re-opened, in part, as preserved lines.

I was aware of the Maiden Newton - Bridport branch. I'm amazed that escaped Beeching's clutches. Maiden Newton must have been a lonely place to wait for a connection on a winters night.
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Not sure about the Folkestone East sidings - remember reversing in them in the early 90's with a lot of condemned EPB stock stored there.

One of the biggest shocks to me is Folkestone Central, which has had a whole island platform stripped of canopy, buildings and is now derelict since my youth!

I'm also shocked because its rare in the SE of England for a Network Rail station to be run down given the value of commuter traffic. Without wanting to be rude that's the kind of thing that you would expect to happen in the North.
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Marple Rose Hill - Macclesfield, closed completely on 5th January 1970. DMU passenger services operated until that date, from Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield. Intermediate stations were at High Lane, Middlewood High Level (closed 1960) Higher Poynton & Bollington. Track was lifted during 1971 and the route now forms the Middlewood Way, platforms still survive at High Lane and Higher Poynton plus the odd derelict telegraph pole here and there.

Many thanks for this. I'm amazed that some of the telegraph poles have survived!

 

[LowLevel]

Huddersfield to Clayton West in the 80s?

 

[ac6000cw]

March to Wisbech.
Wymondham to Dereham.
March to Spalding.
Lincoln St.Marks (and the Lincoln avoiding line?)

 

[Penmorfa]

In North Wales;
Gobowen - Nant Mawr
Dee Marsh - Mickle Trafford
Gaerwen - Amlwch
Blaenau Ffestiniog - Trawsfynydd
Penyffordd - Mold
Wrexham - Brymbo
Wrexham - Marchwiel
Bangor - Caernarfon
Brymbo - Minera
come to mind, all freight only except Bangor - Caernarfon. Two of the above enter England for the pedants out there.

 

[scarby]

Scarborough Falsgrave tunnel to Manor Road bridge (freight only). Closed c 1984?

The line, which was the last remains of the Whitby branch, was only kept open for Gallows Close goods yard and once that closed it was finished. It featured the headshunt to Manor Road which was actually simply a remnant of the Whitby branch. A train/loco running right up to the buffers was a rarity, though I believe it was done once or twice for fun.

So sad, so very sad.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Grimsby to Louth shut in 1980 I think. It had lost services before this attempt by a company aiming to takeover the line.
Newholland Pier closed in 1984 when ferry was replace by a bridge the same day.
I'm not sure it's officially closed but Weymouth Habour tramway looks to be closed.
Folkestone and Dover Harbour stations were replaced by a tunnel.

 

[Andyjs247]

Leamside line between Tursdale Jn and Pelaw
Midland route between Swinton and Goose Hill Jn, Normanton
ECML between Selby and Chaloners Whin Jn, York
Mickle Trafford to Dee Marsh
Skelton Jn to Warrington
Lincoln St Marks
Grove Jn to Birchden Jn via Tunbridge Wells West and Groombridge

 

[RichmondCommu]

Scarborough Falsgrave tunnel to Manor Road bridge (freight only). Closed c 1984?

The line, which was the last remains of the Whitby branch, was only kept open for Gallows Close goods yard and once that closed it was finished. It featured the headshunt to Manor Road which was actually simply a remnant of the Whitby branch. A train/loco running right up to the buffers was a rarity, though I believe it was done once or twice for fun.

So sad, so very sad.

I'm guessing here that the last source of rail freight to use the goods yard was house hold fuel? That has tended to be the case with other similar examples.

 

[ac6000cw]

The ex-Midland Railway route from Swinton Junction to Normanton - this carried InterCity Sheffield - Leeds trains in the 1970s, but south of the Monk Bretton branch junction is now completely closed.